U.S. Counts on Altidore to End His Drought

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Jozy Altidore during a win over Azerbaijan last week. He last scored on Dec. 4, for Sunderland.CreditCreditMarcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

By Jorge Arangure Jr.

May 31, 2014

For several years, Jozy Altidore has carried expectations of becoming the United States’ next great, or perhaps first great, goal-scoring striker. Yet at the very moment he appears ready to reach his potential, he is in a confounding scoring slump.

After scoring 31 goals in 41 games for AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch league in 2012-13, Altidore, 24, had just one goal with Sunderland of the Premier League last season. He has not scored in any competition since his Dec. 4 goal against Chelsea. His last goal for the United States came Oct. 11.

With the United States stuck in the World Cup’s Group G with Germany, Ghana and Portugal, improved play from Altidore seems critical for the Americans to advance to the knockout phase. The worry is whether Altidore is up to the challenge.

“I think Jozy has a very special World Cup ahead of him,” Coach Jurgen Klinsmann said. “He can prove a point. He had a tough path there at Sunderland in Europe. But it’s a learning path he went through. And he fought himself through it.”

With Sunderland, Altidore had just 29 shots in 31 games, and he recorded one assist. He did not start the last seven games and did not play in three of them. The statistical site WhoScored.com rated Altidore as the 21st-best player on the team and the 266th-best player in the league.

The team went through a tumultuous season. On Sept. 23, Sunderland fired Manager Paolo Di Canio after the club had earned 1 point through the first five games. Di Canio, who had signed Altidore during the summer transfer period, reportedly clashed with several players after games and during practices.

The Uruguayan Gus Poyet was hired Oct. 8 to replace Di Canio. After its horrid start, Sunderland fought all season to avoid relegation, which it eventually did by finishing 14th, just 5 points out of the drop zone.

“It was a tough one, not only for me but for everyone involved with the club,” Altidore said of his season. “It wasn’t easy. A lot of changes went on there during the year. It was emotional as well. It was a learning experience.

“It’s not always going to go like how you think it’s going to go. I had a picture in my mind as to how Sunderland would go, how things would go there, and those went out the window with the coach getting fired. Those kinds of things happen; you have to adjust as a professional.”

While Altidore did not play up to expectations, the atmosphere was not exactly conducive to positive performances.

“Premier League is a tough league, you know?” said United States goalkeeper Tim Howard, who plays for Everton. “If you look across the board, there are very few strikers who come in on their first year and set the place ablaze. It’s tough. You have to really find your feet.”

Altidore went scoreless for 16 consecutive matches for the United States from 2011 to 2013. But last summer, he responded with eight goals in seven matches. His ability to score in bunches has his teammates confident that he can play an important role at the World Cup in Brazil.

Teammates said Altidore appeared revitalized with his return to the national team. Although he did not score during a 2-0 victory over Azerbaijan on Tuesday, his teammates said he had been a terror in practice. His familiarity with the team’s style of play and with his teammates makes him appear more comfortable.

“When I play on the national team, I feel guys try to get me touches,” Altidore said. “I feel I’m on the ball a bit more. I’m just able to be a different type of player.”

Klinsmann’s new two-striker setup seems to fit Altidore well. Listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 175 pounds, he can use his superior strength to hold the ball, allowing teammates to get into the attacking zone. With another forward beside him, Altidore also has less pressure to have to create offense by himself.

Altidore’s aerial ability, enhanced by his strength, was one aspect of his game that was not a flop last season in England. According to WhoScored.com, he ranked 46th in the Premier League with 2.4 aerial balls won per match despite not being a full-time starter by the end of the season.

“Being a forward is a funny thing,” striker Chris Wondolowski said. “Sometimes, you do all the right things and you don’t score the goals. And sometimes, you do all the wrong things and the ball bounces off of you and you do score a goal.

“Right now, especially if you watch the Azerbaijan game, I thought Jozy did a great job, especially being a target forward. His movement was really special. I think that’s something you need to watch as a forward: how the player’s movement is right now. His holdup play is great.”

But strikers are ultimately judged on their scoring ability, not on their ability to help others score. No American forward has scored a goal in the World Cup since 2002, a stretch of eight matches.

Altidore may be the one to stop that drought. Or he may once again frustrate those who have long pegged him as the national team’s next superstar.

A version of this article appears in print on , Section SP, Page 5 of the New York edition with the headline: U.S. Counts on Altidore to End His Drought. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe